Page 334 of Conquered

Let’s kill some shit indeed.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

LILLY

Iwake up with a groan, a sharp pain tightening like a band across my stomach. It’s so intense that all I can do is lie there and breathe, just like Mai has been getting me to practise for the past few weeks.

Once it passes, I get up and head to the bathroom, sitting on the toilet. It’s when I wipe myself and notice the jelly-like, pink-tinged substance on the paper that I realise what is happening.

“Mai!” I yell, staring at what can only be my plug, or show as Mai kept calling it. Its presence tells me that the pain I experienced this morning might be my labour starting.

The door is flung open, and I look up with wide eyes as Mai rushes into the room, sleep tousled and still in her cotton PJs. I thrust the stained toilet paper in her direction, and she blinks, then straightens up and looks wide awake when she realises what it is.

“No need to panic, Lilly,” she tells me in a soothing tone, stepping closer and around my still-held-out hand. “This doesn’tnecessarily mean that your labour will start today. Let’s get you cleaned up and put some food in you, okay?”

“O–okay,” I reply, finally putting the paper down the toilet and flushing whilst Mai starts up the shower.

Getting to my shaky feet, my heart feels like it’s trying to fly free.

“Hey…” Mai takes my arm, helping me out of my sleep shirt. “Even if baby does decide to come today, we can handle it, okay?”

“Okay,” I repeat once more, stepping under the warm spray and instantly feeling my shoulders relax under the water.

After I get dressed and eat something, we decide to go for a gentle walk, the pains coming fairly regularly but not that often. The twins follow us, both with wrinkled brows and stiff necks.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” Mai exclaims after Roman hovers so close I almost trip. “Plenty of babies have been born a little early, Lilly is not about to keel over, so give her some bloody space.”

I giggle as, chastised, they step back a bit, and a pang of intense sadness hits me when I realise that my guys would be far worse if they were here.

“The guys will be at the cabin by now; they won’t be able to come here if things do ramp up,” I pause as an intense pain shoots across my stomach, making it go rock-hard.

“That’s it, Lilly, just breathe in and out,” Mai encourages, rubbing my back in soothing circles until the pain eases and I can straighten up once more. “Let’s head back, shall we?”

We turn to walk back, my arm linked in Mai’s, and I worry my lip as we walk.

“I think that maybe we shouldn’t let them know. I don’t want them distracted,” I tell them, and although I can see the twins scowling at that, they nod.

“It’s shit, but probably for the best,” Rowan says grumpily.

He’s right, it is shit. I want my guys here with me. Jax was meant to help deliver our baby, but we can’t always get what we want; I know that more than most.

Looks like this night may be one to remember in more ways than one.

ASH

We all take our seats on various couches in the main living room after a long day of hunting elk and a meal of freshly caught elk heart. My father likes the idea of eating the heart of our enemies, and it doesn’t taste too bad once you get over the idea. The staff that cooked it have gone home as planned, so it’s just the eight of us.

Jax hands out glasses of scotch, catching my eye and giving an imperceptible nod to let me know that he’s done his part and, at most, we have half an hour before the effects of the GHB kicks in.

The elders talk about business, lots of bullshit back slapping and congratulatory talk about this or that company that has been made bankrupt. I watch, sipping my drink and trying not to sneer at the devil’s these men have become. It turns my stomach the amount of lives they’ve ruined, have forced us to take, all in the name of getting richer.

This isn’t how the world is meant to work. Lilly has shown me that with her light and goodness, and her caring for others. We’re meant to help people, help to pull them up, and not knock them down for our own gain. How many families have struggled because of us? Because of my father’s insatiable greed?

“Asth—” the man in question slurs, grimacing as his eyes try to focus on me. Seconds later his glass slips from his hand, landing with a dull thud on the rug as he slides to the floor, eyes closed and slack-jawed.

Similar noises sound around the room, and I look up to see all four of them lying in a comatose state.

“Stephen won’t be out for long,” Jax informs us, going over to Kai’s uncle and giving him a vicious kick. A small moan leaves the man’s lips, but he stays down. Jax leans down, grabs Stephen under the arms, and hauls him in the direction of the basement.